The Rockies have been searching for anything to break their season-long funk.
Catharsis finally came in the desert. Their panacea was a rare, breakout night from their offense.
They blasted five homers — two by leadoff hitter Jordan Beck — mashed a season-high 19 hits, rallied from an 11-6 deficit and beat the Diamondbacks, 14-12, on Saturday night at Chase Field.
“Tonight was one of those nights where the hitting was contagious and we just kept going,” Beck told Rockies.TV. “It was fun.”
Beck also tripled in the ninth and scored on Ezequiel Tovar’s single to give Colorado an insurance run.
Saturday marked the first time in the Diamondbacks’ history that they scored 12 or more runs and lost.
Colorado snapped a four-game losing streak, letting them forget about their historically bad 8-37 record, at least for one night. Warren Schaeffer, who replaced Bud Black last Sunday, got his first big-league victory as a manager.
The Rockies celebrated in traditional baseball fashion, taking Schaeffer to the shower where he was doused with shaving cream, mouthwash, and shampoo.
“I’m happy for (the players), that was a battle win,” Schaeffer told reporters as he wiped shaving cream from his ears. “It was back and forth. They kept punching, our guys kept punching back, grinding out at-bats. We had quality at-bats from the top to the bottom all night long.
“It was awesome. And after that game? That was cool, that was fun. Once in a lifetime.”
The players were thrilled for their new manager and happy to exhale for a change.
“It was so fun to get it for him,” Beck said. “He’s a great guy, and it was good to get a win and get the juices flowing again.”
Colorado won its third game on the road (against 21 losses), and Schaffer hopes the players will finally start relaxing at the plate.
Tovar, who had a career-high five hits, fell a double short of hitting for the cycle. Tovar (5 for 6) singled in the first, hit a 425-foot leadoff homer off veteran right-hander Zac Gallen in the third, tripled in the fourth (but was left stranded), and singled again in the seventh and ninth.
Hunter Goodman and Kyle Farmer each hit a two-run homer and a two-run double and drove in four runs.
“That was awesome,” Schaeffer said. “That’s what I envision, everyone contributing, on any given night.”
Colorado’s three-run seventh put it over the top. Tyler Freeman led off with a single, advanced to second on Ryan Thompson’s balk, and scored on Michael Toglia’s double to left-center. Then Beck ripped a two-run shot off Thompson’s 0-1 slider.
Seth Halvorsen pitched a scoreless ninth and notched his second save of the season.
Colorado entered the night having been outscored 44-15 in the first inning, but it struck quickly Saturday night, scoring three runs in its first at-bat. Beck hit the game’s first pitch from Gallen for a homer to center. Tovar followed with a single, and Goodman brought Tovar home with a two-run homer down the left-field line.
The good vibes didn’t last long. The D-backs tied the game in the bottom of the frame, taking advantage of two walks by starter German Marquez and a throwing error by Tovar. Ketel Marte and Eugenio Suarez delivered RBI singles.
Marquez, once the Rockies’ best pitcher, looks like a ghost of his former self. He lasted just three innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits, three walks, and a hit batter. He needed 82 pitches to get through his short start, his most pitches ever over three innings.
The franchise leader in career strikeouts struck out just one and has only 21 K’s in 40 innings pitched this season. His glaring 8.78 ERA after nine starts is proof of the right-hander’s struggles.
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